If the subscription price is a bit steep for you and you don't need the election analysis, help support independent coverage of California politics and policy by chipping in whatever you can afford. Thank you to have contributed!

Happy inauguration day, with Darrell Steinberg being sworn in as mayor tonight. The event is free, at the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sac. Doors open at 5pm. Staff emailed out a note yesterday that noted it's expected to be raining and umbrellas are not allowed inside the museum. During the actual inauguration, it'll be standing room only. Parking is limited, so carpooling or taking Uber/Lyft is highly recommended.

With the support of Mayor Eric Garcetti and State Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León, Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez is the clear favorite.

If Gomez is successful, a special election for his AD51 would be held. Councilmember David Ryu, who briefly considered running for the Becerra seat does not live in AD51 (nor CA34, but residency isn't required for congressional candidates). Councilmember Gil Cedillo lives in the district, but he already has served three terms in the Assembly and two terms in the Senate.

Los Angeles Unified Board of Education member Ref Rodriguez lives in AD51. He is a charter school advocate and could be the subject of large independent expenditures should he decide to run. He serves on the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing after being appointed by Jerry Brown in 2013.

There undoubtedly others, as I was looking only at electeds. It's important to remember that John A. Pérez came out of the United Food and Commercial Workers. So, readers, feel free to send tips. I expect a deluge of email.

Donald Trump forces a California water deal without lifting a finger [Dan Walters @ SacBee] - "Hammered out by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Bakersfield’s Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader of the House, it broke a half-decade-long political logjam over the issue, and there is little doubt that uncertainty over Trump’s attitude was its driving force."

Why California has most to lose in Obamacare repeal [Daniel Weintraub @ SacBee] - "California probably gained more than any other state from the Affordable Care Act, the federal health reform better known as Obamacare. Now, with the program facing an almost certain demise, the state and its low-income residents have the most to lose."

How one state senator wants to clean up truck pollution [Rachel Uranga @ SBSun] - "Aiming to help pay for California Gov. Jerry Brown’s effort to take the dirtiest big rigs off the road, state Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, is pushing a $600 million bond to fund cleaner trucks and goods movement."

Sacramento eyes redesign of staid Capitol Mall [Tony Bizjak @ SacBee] - "The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday is expected to commit $160,000 to study redesigning the streetscape to invite more public use. City Councilman Steve Hansen, who represents downtown and is pushing the plan, said he’d like to turn Capitol Mall into the city’s largest event and festival space, while maintaining space for cars and improving usability for pedestrians and bicyclists."

#CAKEDAY: Happy birthday to Cory Salzillo and Gary Winuk!

CLASSIFIEDS

As speculation mounts who will win the Xavier Becerra congressional seat, GLORIA MOLINA -- the first latina elected to the California legislature in an overlapping district -- discusses her trailblazing career in this exclusive interview: vimeo.com/130590360

The California Charter Schools Association welcomes back to session the 2017-2018 class of State Legislators and looks forward to working to ensure all kids have quality educational opportunities. CCSA will work with the Legislature to block any federal efforts that undermine the rights of students or are fundamentally at odds with values held by the vast majority of Californians. Read CCSA’s letter to Legislators here.

Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is hiring an Organizing Director in their San Francisco office. The E2 Organizing Director will operate in the nexus of advocacy and development. The position’s primary purpose is to grow and maintain E2’s membership and support its nine chapters and 850+ members throughout the U.S. in order to further our policy advocacy. S/he will also co-manage E2’s database with development staff and provide data and targeting services the advocacy team. S/he will also work closely with our Executive Director to cultivate membership donations. This is a mid-to-senior level position with a competitive compensation package. Full description and application instructions are here.

The Sacramento LGBT Center is searching for an Executive & Finance Assistant, which reports to the Executive Director and provides community engagement and administrative support. This position may be part or full-time and is non-exempt. High school diploma is required; associate’s or bachelor’s degree is preferred & 3 years or more in an executive, finance, or related assistant role. Full description.

SEIU-UHW is seeking a Political Capacity Organizer, which is responsible for a range of program objectives to build and strengthen our infrastructure and engage our members to be a powerful force at their worksites, in the legislative process, in the community and at the ballot box. Please submit cover letter, resume and at least 3 references to our candidate portal at seiuunitedhealthcareworkers.appone.com/.

SEIU-UHW is seeking a Regional Political Organize, which reports to the Political Director, and is responsible for a broad range of program objectives to build and strengthen our infrastructure and engage our members to be a powerful force at their worksites, in the legislative process, in the community and at the ballot box. Please submit cover letter, resume and at least 3 references to our candidate portal at seiuunitedhealthcareworkers.appone.com/.

The Office of Assemblymember Elect Phillip Chen is looking to hire talented and dedicated individuals to join its Capitol and District team in Brea, CA. The following positions are looking to be filled -- District Director, Scheduler, Legislative Assistant, Field Representative/Caseworker. For more information, please visit www.phillipchen.org/jobs-with-phillip

Thinking about Graduate School? Sacramento State’s Department of Public Policy and Administration is now accepting applications for graduate studies in Public Policy & Administration and Urban Land Development. Highly affordable, we offer a rigorous education in a political context with more than 400 alumni working in California State and local government as well as private and non-profit organizations. Priority deadline is December 1; final deadline is March 1 for Fall 2017 admissions. www.csus.edu/ppappa-01@csus.edu

Subscribe to the Capitol Morning Report and closely follow who’s doing what each day in California government and politics. We list news conferences, legislative hearings, state board meetings and other events. Plus we add in community news and announcements from political campaigns. More info at www.capitolmr.com

Often attributed to Mark Twain but never verified is the empirical truth that whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over. There continues to be a fight over water allocation in the state of 39 million people with a strong core of environmental advocates. Yet, the economic aspects of water shortages could not and should not be ignored. Small farmers and businesses in the parched Central Valley will get a boost if the legislation is signed into law.

Nine Senate Democrats on Tuesday asked the Obama administration to finish and publicly release a formal intelligence assessment on Russian interference in the election before Donald Trump's inauguration.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and the State Premier of the southwestern federal state of Saarland Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at an IT summit in Germany | Oliver Dietze/AFP via Getty Images